Suffering Insomnia While Quitting Smoking.

It’s not uncommon to hear of people struggling to find sleep when they stop smoking. For an unlucky few, it may even lead to insomnia. It can be pretty tempting to single out nicotine withdrawal as being the cause for this.

The truth however, is that there are many things that may contribute to a person experiencing insomnia during their quit campaign. The most likely candidate being caffeine.

As this medical review suggests, most smokers drink coffee, and the smoking cessation experience can be largely influenced by whether or not the smoker also abstains from caffeine.

If an ex smoker continues to drink coffee after they quit smoking, they will quickly find the potency of caffeine has dramatically increased. This is because nicotine speeds up the half life of caffeine, causing it to leave the body quicker. Put simply, when there is no nicotine in the body, caffeine lasts a lot longer. Refer to linked review above.

Smokers who do not quit coffee at the same time as quitting smoking, significantly increase their risk of getting caffeine toxicity syndrome. Which of course, leads to sleep deprivation and potentially insomnia.

In short, one of the most likely ways to avoid insomnia during a quit campaign is to simply avoid coffee. However, if it is too late and you are already suffering insomnia, it is best to treat it as a separate issue and not as a nicotine withdrawal symptom, in other words, don’t wait for it to pass.

Arguably, the best way to treat insomnia is with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Ask your doctor for more details.

In the mean time, if you suffer insomnia and now past the worst stages of withdrawal, here are some quick tips that may help you get back to a normal sleep pattern.

Exercise Daily.

Exercise doesn’t have to be intense in order to be effective.Studies have shown that moderate cardio exercises, such as a brisk twenty minute walk, will help combat insomnia.

Pay Attention to Your Circadian Rhythms.

Circadian rhythms are something all biological beings use to influence certain behaviors such as sleep. In humans, circadian rhythms that influence sleep are largely regulated by our ability to sense light and darkness.

An average human with healthy circadian rhythms should feel sleepy by around nine pm. The best chance of getting a good healthy nights sleep, comes with adhering to these rhythms.

Avoid Naps During the Day.

A nap now and then may not be a major issue, but if taken often, they will disrupt your sleep cycle significantly. Try and stay as active during the day as possible.

Get Up at Same Time Every Morning.

It may take several attempts, but doing this should help you to regulate your sleeping pattern.

Avoid Caffeine

Self explanatory really.

If none of the above work, seek medical attention and again, talk to your doctor about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Comments

HI, Thanks for the great tips, But I am suffering with high sleepiness after quitting ciggs since 18 days, i cant sleep the whole night and before getting into deep sleep I wake up with dreams all over in my mind. please need some help. Plus i have some anxiety issues going as well after quitting smoking.

Hi Tani, what you are experiencing is very normal. I had very vivid dreams when I quit as well. They do wear off after a while though. The anxiety can be pretty tough too. Push through it! I am more than 2 years now and every single struggle was worth it!

No man, DON’T use medical marijuana for insomnia unless you’re desperate and it’s the only way to get some sleep. First of all, quitting smoking by smoking something else kinda defeats the purpose. Secondly, even if you don’t smoke it, replacing one dependancy with another is no help at all. Not because I’m claiming marijuana is as addictive as nicotine, but because we should learn to do without both. I also refuse to use nicotine patches/gum. I used to smoke weed on a regular basis, and quitting that put me through my first insomnia period. It was much harder to get through than my current nicotine-withdrawal insomnia. Not only that, but the personality traits of marijuana withdrawal can be even worse than nicotine. I was so irritable, had far too much energy to sit still and concentrate on anything. It’s far more psychological than nicotine. In my opinion both are pretty easy to quit with will power alone, but you have to go the distance – my insomnia is annoying but it’ll go away and I sure don’t want to rely on anything external to get a natural, good night’s sleep.

Hi cameron
Thanks for advice, I have been struggling my anxiety qnd depression, sometimes I feel I was very good while smoking, now my mental health is not ok, still having insomnia, I ask my doc abt this and getting xanax, prozec, and ambeian sleep drug, I got so frustrated sometimes y I quited ciggs,, plus I dont have any major depression in my life. Plz help me with ….

I would continue talking to your doctor, though I would also ask about cognitive behavioural therapy. (CBT). It is an excellent form of therapy that helps with all sorts of things, such as insomnia, anxiety etc etc.

Hi all I quit smoke already 5month plus but at first I just got few symptoms panic attack and heart palpitation. But now I already suffer insomnia 3weeks so anyone have the same symptoms?? Pls give some advise ??? 🙁

You have got to be joking ….. Really you want me give up coffee now too next it will be alcohol then meat then I’m sure there will be problem with sex. Or anything else in the world that gives people any sort of enjoyment. This sort of total and utter crap just makes me want to start smoking again. I may have a shorter life but that’s a lot better than a long miserable one

I feel like an idiot. I’ve smoked for 30 years. Im scared to death that I already have cancer, but I just keep puffing away. I have two grandsons and I want to see them grow up . I was with my daughter today and I didn’t smoke at all. I don’t smoke in front of my parents, or my friends. I wish my husband would quit with me. The good news is I haven’t had a cigarette all day and it’s now 11 p.m. I didn’t stop and get a pack on my way home thanks to the rain and I’m not really craving one yet. I can smoke two packs a day on a bad day so I need some encouraging words and I can’t encourage anyone if they need it. Together we can do this. Nobody should want to stink. I know there are people who don’t care if they stink, but we shouldn’t want to stink. Nobody wants cancer though. Please Don’t Let My Words scare you. I just feel like I have thrown my life away. All for that stick that stinks. I’m mad at myself. I have no idea if I will buy cigarettes tomorrow or not , but I will let you know.

I recently quit a 1-2 pack a day habit of 25 years after waking to the reality of a COPD diagnosis. I can tell you Brenda, the fear, shame, and guilt of quitting is NOTHING compared to the onset of an irreversible lung condition and the terror of breathlessness and other symptoms. At 30 years, every cigarette ups the ante on a very precarious gamble with not only your quality of life but that of your loved ones. Don’t fear quitting. You can do it. There’s lots of folks and drug companies that have alot invested in making you feel that you can’t quit on your own, without the help of some other drug. What you should be scared of isn’t quitting but the how you’re going to feel when you realize you’ve got a condition that doesn’t care whether you quit or not. I wish you +encouragement. Have faith in your body and spirit to heal itself. It can and it will if you give it a chance.

I’m sorry, I wrote ( I can’t encourage anyone that needs it, I meant I can.) I have positive things to say. Even though tonight I am worrying myself over the unknown I will do my best to not cave tomorrow! Goodnight!

ot giving up.. Stopping :)..Giving up implies you are giving up” something that is great.. smoking is not! I am on my 21st day..still no sleep, and ever since I stopped smoking I have been really really tired all the time. Not just the first 2 weeks..so, I guess I need ” HELP” ? But, I really object to Labels so I think in the end I will; be ok..it takes time for our bodies and minds to adjust.. and every single person does this differently to the next. If you can’t handle the sleeplessness and it goes on and on , then sure, do something. But in the first month or more, I’d say it is just the body adjusting psychologically and physically.. it is a HUGE trauma on your body! Think about ALL those extremely bad chemicals you inhaled aside from just nicotine and tar…no wonder the sleeplessness etc..And by the way.. YOU ARE ALL doing a great job, even if you start again, you gave it a go, and you will stop eventually!! Give yourselves a hug pat on the back, and buy yourself a treat :). You CAN do it..One other thing… COLD TURKEY is the best way to not get addicted to something else.. a least give it a try, and if you can’t do it then use the patches or gum etc…and deal with that addiction later on… 🙂 xx YOU CAN DO IT! N

My insomnia won’t go away yesterday I was up for 28 hours Stright I went to bed for one hour and now I’ve been up and I’m writing this at 6:23 am my body won’t let me sleep it’s like I have forgotten how anyways I feel like I have conqoured everything else my will powers strong enough to defeat cravings which are pretty much diminished and only come after eating now and are very mild but the sleep is killing me because my body is Geting healthy but my mind is now a zombie.

Quitting smoking is great u have to proud of. Even if u cant sleep all your life u are ridding your self from an awful disease Im happy that Im escaping from that prison everything will be OK in the future

Hi all three weeks today and I feel brill only downfall insomnia but one thing I have found really helps swimming cuts down stress helps with weight the more I swim the healthier I feel and when I get out it helps with not smoking cos I can breath better as I feel better two birds with one stone…….well,actually three cos I have depression and exercise helps that as well.it is so hard to give up but I feel free. Don’t get me wrong I loved and I mean loved smoking but praying I have the will power to carry on. I do talk to the nicotine cravings! Such as….you are not going to beat me.then when craving wears off yahoo beat it.i do find you tube videos brill as well meditation videos.i never thought they would help in a million years.was I wrong.i am trying new things and am surprised but never felt so good.i hope you all get through this with as little pain as possible.keep strong ,praise yourself,treat yourself and be happy x

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About Me.

My name is Cameron Kellett and on the 10th of August 2011, I ended my twenty year addiction to nicotine by stopping smoking. I am also an avid Batman fan. Full time student (at 37!). A loving dad. A loving husband. Coffee freak. Chocoholic. Star Wars fan. Breaking Bad fan. Game of Thrones fan. Daenerys for the WIN! And of course, the founder of achoice2live.com! More.